P
US6771012B2ExpiredUtilityPatentIndex 65

Apparatus for producing a flux of charge carriers

Assignee: HITACHI EUROP LTDPriority: Mar 16, 2000Filed: Mar 12, 2001Granted: Aug 3, 2004
Est. expiryMar 16, 2020(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:AHMED HAROONHASKO DAVIDDRISKILL-SMITH ALEXWILLIAMS DAVID ARFON
H01J 37/073B82Y 15/00H01J 2237/3175
65
PatentIndex Score
11
Cited by
23
References
38
Claims

Abstract

Apparatus for producing a flux of charge carriers that may be used in many applications including imaging and lithography comprises an electron source which includes an emitter with a tip radius of about one nanometer and a closely configured extractor, together with a specimen for receiving an electron beam from the source. The apparatus may operate in air under atmospheric conditions and at a much reduced operating voltage.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is:  
     
       1. Apparatus for producing a flux of charge carriers comprising: 
       a source which comprises and emitter having a nanometer scale tip radius on a common substrate with an extractor arranged no more than 50 nm from the emitter to extract charge carriers therefrom and  
       a specimen adjacent the source, to receive a flux of charge carriers from the source.  
     
     
       2. Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the emitter has a tip radius less than 2 nm. 
     
     
       3. Apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the emitter had a tip radius less than 1 nm. 
     
     
       4. Apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the extractor is arranged no more than 30 nm from the emitter. 
     
     
       5. Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the emitter nad extractor are configured such that said charge carries are extracted while a bias is applied to the extractor relative to the emitter. 
     
     
       6. Apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the relative applied bias is positive. 
     
     
       7. Apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the relative applied bias is between 7 to 20 V. 
     
     
       8. Apparatus according to  claim 1  including a bias source the apply bias to the specimen relative to the emitter. 
     
     
       9. Apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the bias applied by the bias source to the specimen is positive relative to the emitter. 
     
     
       10. Apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the bias applied by the bias source to the specimen is between 14 to 40 V relative to the emitter. 
     
     
       11. Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the emitter comprises a metal. 
     
     
       12. Apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the metal comprises tungsten. 
     
     
       13. Apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein the emitter comprises a tip member. 
     
     
       14. Apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the tip member comprises an alloy of gold and palladium. 
     
     
       15. Apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the tip member has a tip radius less than 2 nm. 
     
     
       16. Apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the extractor comprises tungsten. 
     
     
       17. Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the extractor comprises a sheet having an aperture. 
     
     
       18. Apparatus according to  claim 17 , wherein the diameter of the aperture is less than 100 nm. 
     
     
       19. Apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein the diameter of the aperture is less than 50 nm. 
     
     
       20. Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the source further comprises a collector for collecting charge carriers. 
     
     
       21. Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the source further comprises a deflector for deflecting flux of charge carriers. 
     
     
       22. Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the source further comprises a lens for focusing the flux of charge carriers. 
     
     
       23. Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the flux of charge carriers is a charge carrier beam. 
     
     
       24. Apparatus according to  claim 1  configured to operate in air at atmospheric pressure. 
     
     
       25. Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the charge carriers are electrons. 
     
     
       26. Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the emitter and the specimen are disposed less than 20 nm from each other. 
     
     
       27. Apparatus for producing a flux of charge carriers comprising: 
       a source which comprises an emitter and an extractor to extract charge carriers from an emitter, wherein the emitter and the extractor are configured on a common substrate and a specimen,  
       wherein the emitter and the specimen are arranged in a near-field configuration.  
     
     
       28. Apparatus according to  claim 27 , wherein the near-filed configuration phase coherence of the charge carries is substantially maintained. 
     
     
       29. Apparatus according to  claim 27 , wherein the near-filed configuration comprises an arrangement whereby the emitter and the specimen are disposed less than 200 nm from each other. 
     
     
       30. Apparatus according to  claim 27 , wherein the extractor is arranged no more than 50 n from the emitter. 
     
     
       31. Apparatus according to  claim 27 , wherein the extractor is arranged no more than 30 nm from the emitter. 
     
     
       32. Apparatus for producing a flux of charge carriers comprising: 
       a source which comprises:  
       an extractor to extract charge carrier from the emitter,  
       wherein the emitter and the extractor are configured so as to allow extraction of charge carriers under a gaseous atmosphere without ionisation of the gas and  
       a specimen adjacent to the source, to receive a flux of charge carriers from the source.  
     
     
       33. Apparatus according to  claim 32 , wherein the emitter and extractor are configured such that said charge carriers are extracted while a bias is applied to the extractor relative to the emitter. 
     
     
       34. Apparatus according to  claim 33 , wherein the relative applied bias is positive. 
     
     
       35. Apparatus according to  claim 34 , wherein the relative applied bias is between 7 to 20 V. 
     
     
       36. Apparatus for producing a flux of charge carriers comprising: 
       a source which comprises:  
       an emitter and  
       an extractor to extract charge carriers while a turn-on bias of less than 100 V is applied to the extractor relative to the emitter and  
       a specimen adjacent the source, to receive a flux of charge carriers from the source.  
     
     
       37. Apparatus according to  claim 36 , wherein the turn-on bias is less than 10 V. 
     
     
       38. A method of producing a flux of charge carriers, the method comprising: 
       providing a source comprising configuring an emitter having a nanometer scale tip radius on a substrate with an extractor arranged no more than 50 nm from the emitter ti extract charge carriers therefrom and  
       providing a specimen adjacent the source, to receive a flux of charge carriers from the source.

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